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The  People  not  the  Original  of  Civil?  ower\ 

PROVED    FROM 

G  O  Us   Word,  the  Doarinel 

and  Liturgy  of  the   EftahU/h'd  Church] 
and  from  the  Laws  of  ENGLAND. 

SERMON 

Preach'd  at  thePariih-Church  of 

St.  Et  HE  L  B  U  R  GA,\ 

On  Jharfdaj/y  Jan.  30. 1 7O7. 

Being  a  Day  of  Solemn  Fading  and  Humiliation,  ap-[ 
pointed  by  Law,  for  the  Execrable  Murder  off 
K.CHARLESthe Firft,  of  bleffed Memory. 


cijejriftftetimom 


By  LVXE    MILBOVRtJE,  a/'mVfrofthe 
Church  <  E  N  G  L  A  N  D. 


In  the  laft  Days  fsrilow  Times Jhall  come  :  For  MenjhaU  he  Proud, 
Blaffhemers,  Falfe Accufers,  Fierce,  Defpfers  of  thofe  that  are] 
Good  i  Traitors,  Heady,  Highr-minded,  Sec.  \ 

Evil  Men  and  Seducers /hall  wax  worfe  and  worfi.  Deceiving,  and] 
being  Deceived,  i  Tim.  3.  i ,  2, 3, 4,  1 3. 

And  they  font  forth  Sfics,  who  Jhould  feign  themfehes  jufl  Men,  that  ] 
they  might  lay  hold  of  his  Words,  hvkeio.zo.  ' 

London^   Printed  for  George  Sawbridge,  in 
Little  Britain.  177'-.  Trice  id. 


Biihop  of  Salishry  at  St.  Pauh,   ■ 
December  31ft,  i  qo6. 

THE  RE  u^  Mercy  that  is  Cruelj  not  only  to  the 
rejl  of  Mankind^  lut  even  to  thofe  who  are  the 
Ohjeils  of  it ;  and  a  Jufl  Severity  may  be  a  Blef 
,    Jing^  not  only  to  the  refi  of  the  Worlds  hut  even  to  thofe  t 
%    on  whom  it  falls  heaviefi :  It  may  irini^  them  to  fuch  % 
fl  Reflexions  on  themfelveSj  as  may  render  them  capable  ■ 
of  that  Mercy  which  they  dofo  much  need ;  it  may  put  ■ 
them  out  of  a  Capacity  of  encreafing  their  Guilty  or  of^i 
enh^uneing  their  Puntfhment^  which  mufl  come  on  them  \ 
heavily  fomewhere^  Here  or  Hereafter. 


f  If. 


^. 


T>R»  Sacheverel's  Prayers  and  Meditations  on  riie  Days  of  his 
"*"^^  Tryal,  begun  Fehr.  27,  1709—10.  l^rice  i  d» 

Melius  Inquirendum ;  or,  A  freih  Inquiry  into  St.  P^w/'s  Beha- 
viour towards  the  Civil  Magiftrare,  (^c.  Price  2  d.  The  Mea-; 
lures  of  Refiftance  to  the  Higher  Powers,  fo  far  as  becomes  z 
Chriftian,  S'c.  The  3d  Edition.  Price 6  d.  Both  preached  at. 
St.  Ethelhurga,  by  Lul^e  Milhourne,  a  Presbyter  of  the  Church  of 
Evglahd  J  and  ibkl  bv  Geo,  Sawhridgc^  in  Link  Briuin. 


ROMANS   XIII.  I.    C.  ultimo, 

for  there  is  no  Tower  but  ofGOD:    The  Powers  that  he^ 
are  Ordain  d  of  GOD. 

IN  which  Words  the  Apofile  afferts^as  plainly  asWords  can  exprefs 
it.  That  the  Original  of  all  Tower ^  whether  Civil  or  Ecclefiaftiffal,  if 
fiom  Gody  and  from  God  only.  Our  Modern  Politicians  and  A^ 
theifls^  who  never  bring  God  into  their  Difcourfes  but  to  Blaf- 
phemeHim;  nor  God*s  Church  into  their  Arguments,  but  to  Ruin 
it,  affert  in  direft  Oppofition  to  the  Apoftle;  ThU  the  Original  of  all 
Tower  iifi'om  the  Teople ;  upon  this  Doftrine  are  Founded  Seditions, 
Infurrerfions,  Rebellions,  Treafons:  And  on  this,  particularly,  was 
founded  the  Barbarous  Murder  of  One  of  the  Beft  of  Princes,  and  of 
Men,  which  We,  this  Daj^  by  the  Command  of  Authority,  jiiftly  De- 
plore. Whether  it  be  more  reafonable  to  give  Credit  to  an  Jnfpir^d 
Apojile^  or  to  every  Atheiflical  Ta^^phleteer^  let*iyfober  Chriftian 
judge^  - 

If  we  enquire  into  the  Charafl-ers  of  the  Promoters  and  Defenders 
ofthisNotion,That  theOriginalofallToweris  intheTeopletwc  fhall  find 
,that  they  are  generally  Men  of  no  Religion,  no  Principles,no  Honour, 
^  ^no  Honefty.    Such  Church-Men  as  have  maintained  it,  have  been  the 
-^  •^greatTrumpeters  of  Rebellion,and  capital  Incendiaries  in  theNations 
where  they  Live ;  ambitious  of  Popularity  and  Preferment,  Profti- 
tuting  their  very  Souls  to  Hell,  if,  at  that  Price,  they  may  but  raifvi 
themfelves  to  the  Power  of  doing  Milchief  to  the  Church  on  Earth. 
They  poifon  the  Souls  of  their  Hearers  as  defperately  with  their  Falfe 
Vofhrines  and  Scandalous  Trafticesj  as  the  worft  fort  of  ^acks  do  the 
Bodies  of  their  Patients.    They  aint  rather  at  the  Glory  of  Heroftra^ 
tm  than  of  Solomon  \  and  broach  Notions  only  fit  to  blow  up  the  Mul- 
titude into  Rebellion,  that  they  may  have  the  better  Opportunity  to 
3  -Avarm  their  own  Fingers  at  the  Fire,  •  They  Laugh  at  that  Religion 
'    ;which  they  Preach,  and  look  upon  the  whole  Doftrine  of  the  Gofpel 
^  \^s  a  pretty  Fable ;  by  Difcourfingon  which  they  may  get  a  Com  pe- 
"^  *  tentLivelihood;  and  as  for  their  future  Account,  they  feldom  think  of  it. 
Take  thefe  Men  from  among  the  Laiety^  and  you'll  find  thtm  com^ 
;nonly  Perfons  of  theLewdeft,  and  moft  Profligate  Lives  in  the  World, 
Schifmaticks^Heretich,  Tapifis^  Fornicators^ Ad uUerers^  I{ebeh^  J^nej^adoes 
^  to  theReligion  they  were  brought  up  in, and  that,  n9t  by  vertue  of  an^ 
;5 '  Conviftions  they  have  had,but  on  a  very  Prudent  and  Chriftian  Refo- 
lution,  to  be  always  of  the  Prince's  I(eligion^  while  He  fits  fure,  and  has 
all  Preferments  in  his  own  Hands:  And  to  be  of  the  ]{rll(^ion  ofth^  Peo- 
ple^he  it  what  it  will,  when  they,hy  the  Management  6f  Crafty  Rebels, 
i'eem  likely  to  prevail  againft  their  Sovereigns :  Like  the  Camelion  they 
'*^    take  their  Colour  from  the  neareft  Objefl-,  ridicnlmg  all  i(f//;^ /(?//,  as 
rt:;:^'  cnlv  a  Politick  Invention  to  keep  Fools  in  Awe.    But  talking  mightily 
o*"  E^Ugion  and  Confciemc^  too^  when  they  heartily  willi  there  were  no 

A  2  fuclj^ 


A  SERMON  Preached  on 


fueh  things  in  the  World.  In  fhort,  they  are  the  Scum  and  Off-fcouring 
of  the  World ;  the  perpetual  Plagues  of  the  Places  they  Live  in ;  the 
irreconcilable  Enemies  of  Tiety  and  Teace\  never  more  dangerous,  than 
when  they  have  Goi  and  J^U^ion  in  their  Mouths ;  never  more  Trea- 
cherous or  Malicious  Adverfaries  to  Government,  than  when  they 
Fl.atter  their  Superiors  in  fulfome  Terms  \  and  pretend  to  fecure  their 
Honour,  by  depriving  them  of  their  Divine  and  Birth's  Flighty  and  ma- 
king them  the  Creatures  of  the  People.  Som^e  few  well-meaning  Igno- 
I ant  Wretches,  who  underftand  nothing  of  an  Argument, who  are  not 
able  to  diftinguifh  between  the  groffeft  Sophiftry,  and  the  cleareft  De- 
monftration,  between  true  Uniform  Religion,  and  palpable  Bafenefs 

^^nd  Hypocrify  ^  fome  few  fuch  may  fometimes  be  Deluded  by  their 

c-noifie  Prate,  and  Impudent  Scribble.   UntthofewhofnGodhasaF^' 

'^vbur  for ^  jho'll  be  Delivered  from  their  Snares* 
;  But  the  ^/?<?/?/^  fays.  There  U  no  Forcer  but  of  Goi:  The  Powers  th^t 
ie^  are  Ordain' dcf  God.  The  Affertion  is  an  Infallible  Truth,  ando-^^* 
very  way  confonant  to  Reafon  There  is  no  Power  but  of  the  People. 
The  Powers  that  be^  are  Ordained  by  the  People ;  fay  our  Atheiflkal 
fioutefem ;  i.  e.  There  were  Subjefts,  before  there  were  any  Prin- 
ces ;  Scholars,  before  Teachers ;  Servants,  before  Mafters ;  Children, 
beforeParents;  and  Converts  before  there  were  any  Preachers:  And 
thefe  are  the  profound  Difcoveries  of  our  Modern  Oracles  ofl{eafon^  \ 
doubt  not  but  that  thofe,  who  place  the  Original  Source  of  all  Power  in 
ik  People,  could  they  get  their  Principle  received,  would  foon  ftrike 
as  boldly  at  the  God  of  Heaven^  as  they  do  now  at  the  Gods  on  Earth  ; 
and  would  bring  Matters  to  that  paf?,  that  Godjhould  not  be  God,  unJefs 
He\d  be  fuch  as  thefe  Men  would  have  Him.  As  TertuUian  of  old  obfer- 
ved,concerning  the  Management  of  the  Heathen,  &  the  wild  Notions 

^  which  they  had  of  their  Deities.  And  of  this  Defign  they  have  alrea- 
dy ^iven  us  a  very  confiderable  Specimeny  as  if  they  were  the  Lineal 
Defcendants  of  the  Old  Gyants,  heaping  huge  Mountains  of  Impious 
Affertionsuponone-another,  that  they  may,  at  laft,  reach  Heaven  it 
felf;  and  Infult  the  Almighty,  on  His  Eternal  Throne. 

Bat  that  we  may  underftand  the  Solidity  ^ndi  Piety  of  this  Admirable 
'Notion  the  better,  let  us  examine  it  by  the  Word  oi  God ,  by  the  Do- 
.ct|:ineand  Devotions  of  ourChureh,  and  by  the  Lawsof  this  King- 

We'll  examine^  it  by  the  Word  of  Gdd^  that  which  we  call  his  Written 
Word,  or  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  that  a  little  more  carefully  th^n 
phefe  wonderful  Men  feem  to  have  done.  And  here,  asforG^«t'r/x/ 
Aff^rtions,  God  tells  us,  that  it  U  the  nwji  Hij^k^  who  I{uhih  in  the  iQng* 
def^2  of  Men^  andgiveth  it  to  rohcm fever  he  rvill.^  Van,  4.  17.  And  again, 
he  forbids  the  Wicked  to  fet  up  their  Horns  on  high,  or  tofpeah  with  a  ^*ijf\ 
JSTeck,  And  why?  Be  caufe  Promotion  cOf77eth  neither  fi-om  the  Uafl,  nh- 
ft'omtheWeJi,  nor  yet  fiom  the  South  i,  for  God  is  the  ^udge,  he  putteth 
down  one,  and  fetteih  up  another^  Piai.  7').  $5  6,  7,  Again,  God  hath 
jpchn,  once  and  twice  have  }  heard  the  fame^  thai  Power  belongeih  unto 
■G.Qi,  Pfklo  62o  II,  WiKHQc  we  ^re  ;;u.iG^ht  to  Enforce  our  Petitions  - 
^    .^"  ""■"  ■  ■  ■    ""   .  :  ...      .  .    ■.         t# 


theThirttethof]2inudLxyf  170' 


Almighty  God  in  the  Lords-Prayer,  with  thofe  Confiderations ;  Tinne 
ii  the  I(ingdorh^  and  the  Tower  and  the  Glory  for  ever  and.  everi  Kvi^  God 
declares  of  Jiimfelf,  By  me  J\ings  B,eign^  and  Vrlnccs  decree  Juflzce  \  by 
'1976  Princes  I{ule^  and  Nobles^  even  all  the  Judges  of  the  Earth. 
"■  Hence  it  is.  That  when  ^'^wf^f?/,  in  tii&  Name  of  God,  Expoftulates 
1|t|th  i'^tt/ for  his  Difobedieiaceinfparing^^^^^iT^  l^f^g  ^^f  ^^^^  JimaJe- 
iktesy  and  the  beft  of  their  Oxen  and  theirSlieep,  wliich  God  had  Com- 
inanded  him  to  deftroy,  he  tells  him,  H'hen  thou  waft  Little  htthine 
Vwn  fight y  v?afi  thou  not  made  the  Head  if  the  Tribes  of  Ifrael  ?  j<lnd  the 
Lord  Anointed  thee  K^ng  over  Ifrael;  becaufe  thou  haft  rejetled  the  Word. 
6f  the  Lord^therefore  he  alfo  hath  reje^ed  thee  from  being  K^i^^.  So  I^'athan 
reproaches  jD^-jii^ when  he  had  bafely  Murderedl/r^c^/Zby  the  Sword 
'Of  the  Ammonites  ;  Thm  faith  the  Lord  Obd  of  Ifrael,  lAnointed  thee 
^KI^S  ^"^^^  Ifrael,  and  I  gave  thee  thy  Mafler^'s  Houfe^  and  thy  Mafier*s 
Wives  into  thj  Bofom,  and  gave  thee  the  Houfe  (?/  Ifrael  and  (?/Judah^ 
*^  Sam.  12.  7,  8.  So  Abijah  tells  Jeroboam^  Thus  faith  the  Lord  God  of 
Ifrael,  I  Exalted  thee  from  among  the  People^  and  riiade  thee  Prince  over 
'fny  People  Ifrael,  and  I(ent  the  Kingdom  fiom  the  1-Iouft  of  David,  and 
^ave  it  unto  thee^  i  Kings  14.  7,  8.  Jehu  the  Prophet  ipeaks  to  the 
Tame  purpofe  to  Baajha^  King  of  Jfrael  ^  /  Exalted  thes  out  of  thp  Duf}^ 
^d  made  thee  Pri^tce  over  my  People  Ifrael, i  KingB«i6.  2*  banzd  tells 
•i5<p///;-4^^^r  concerning  his  Predeceffor,  The  mo/r  high  ilodgavel^chU' 
"thadnezzar,  thy  Father^  a  Kingdom^  and  Majejiy^  and  Glory,  an d- Honour  y 
"knd  for  the  Majefl^  which  he  gave  him^  all  People^  Nations^  and  Language Sy 
Trembled  and  Feared  before  him  5  whom  he  would  he  Jlnn^  and  whom  he 
•would  he  kept  aliv^  ;  whom  he  would  he  fet  upy  and  whor7  he  would  he  put 
downy  Dan.  5.  18.  After  all  which  our  Saviour,  who  certainly  knew 
beft  from  whence  all  Power  wasderiv'd,when  Pilate  (aid  lo  him,  IQiow- 
eji  thou  not  that  I  have  Power  to  Crucipe  thee^and  that  1  have  Power  tol^eleafe 
thee  I  Anfwers  him,  TIjOu  couldft  have  no  Power  agalnji  me^  if  it  were  not 
^iven  theefi'om  above^  John  19.  lo.  And  yet  Pilate  was  but  one  of  the 
"Emperor  Tiberius's  Subftitutes  in  the  Government  of  fudea :  And  af- 
ter his  Refurreftion,  our  Lord  tells  his  Difciples,  All  Power  is  given  to 
he  both  in  Heaven  and  in  Earthy  "Mat.  28,  18.  Yet,  certainly,  all  that 
Power  was  not  conferred  on  him  by  the  People. 

Now,  from  all  this  I  Argue,  If  all  Power  belongs  to  Cod  only  ;  if 
he  raifes  to  Kingdoms,  and  pulls  down  ;  gives  and  takes  away  what 
Power  and  Authority,  and  to  whom  he  pleafes ;  If  Saul^  David^  Solo- 
wony^eroboam^  BaafhayNebuchadncnar^  and  all  Sovereign  Princes;  If 
'P/7tf/^,  and  all  Inferiour  Governours :  if  theCruciiyM  ].-fu%  who  was 
Ki^^  ^f  Kj^^^y  ^^^^  ^^^^  of  Lords  ;  if  all  thefe  derivM  their  Power  from  . 
'■*G6d,and  from  him  only,  as  the  fole  Fountain  and  Original  of  all 

*  Powers,  then  no  Power  at  all  can  be  Originated  from  the  People^cind  every 

*  attempt  of  theirs  to  that  purpofe,  it  it  were  fealible,  would  be  a:i 
Ufiirpation  :  But  the  Fir/}  is  True,  and  tlierefore  the  I.afi.  The  Pre- 
mifes  are  the  Word  of  God  in  Scripture^  and  the  Conclufior,  from 
thofe Premifes iurrefragabl^,  '    .. 

■    •.       -  .  If 


^SERMON  Preached  on 


i 


If  we  enquire  into  the  firft  kinds  of  Government  in  the  World, 
can  find  none  but  that  of  Fathers  and  of  Kjngs\  the  whole  Book  ^_ 
God  gives  us  no  Inftance  of  any  other.  ,  God  himfelf  aflfumes  bo^ 
thofe  Charafters,  and  both  the  Powers  met  at  firft  in  the  fame  Perfonj. 
The  beft  He^^then  Writers  agree  in  the  Antiquity  of  Kingly  Govern- 
ment ;  fo  Cicero  tells  us^  That  all  the  njoft  Jif- 
Omnes  antiqua?  Gen-  dent  Nations  were  Govern'' d.  by  I{ings ;  Saluft  ; 
tes  Regibus  primum  that  Monarchy^  or  that  of  JQngs^  was  the  NamP 
paruere.  De  Leg.  of  the  Firfl  Government  in  the  World.  In  the 
Regium  in  terris  pri-  beginnings  fays  ^uflin^the  Government  of  all  Feo- 
mum  Imperij  Nomen  pie  and  Nations  was  only  in  iQngs.  And  as  Mo- 
fuit,  Sal,  Conj.  Cat.  narchy  was  the  neareft  Refemblance  of  tAe* 
PrincipiorerumGen-  Government  of  all  things  by  God  himfelf,  fo 
tium  Nationumq;  it  was  a  peculiar  Bleffing  which  God  promis'd 
Imperium  penes  Re-  to  beftow  upon  his  own  People  IfrasL  Hen^ 
ges  erat.  Hift.  1.  i.  Balaam  makes  it  an  Evidence  of  God's  Love 
to  them  ;  He  hath  not  beheld  Iniquity  in  Jacol^ 
fays  he,  neither  hath  he  fee n  Terverfenefs  in  Ifrael ;  the  Lord  his  God  is 
rcith  hi/ify  and  the  Shout  of  a  I\ing  is  among  them^  Numb.  23«.  3 1.  And 
God  who  had  made  iT^/3/^5  King  in  jr^j7;ttri^n,  and  Jiaron  Aiofes's  Pro- 
phet-, and  his  own  High-Prieft,  without  ever  Confulting  them,  did  Ip 
to  fhow  that  all  Power  Ecclefiafiical  and  Civil  was  only  inhimfelf\  and  that, 
tho'  in  the  beft  Conftituted  Earthly  Government,  thofe  Powers  ought 
to  be  in  different  Hands ^  yet  they  ought  always  to^o  together.  As  Go4 
forefaw  that  when  Ifrael  were  at  Reft  in  Canaan^  they  would  defire  a 
King,  that  they  might  be  like  the  Neighbouring  Nations,  fo  he  nei- 
ther forbids  nor  difcourages  themvbut  he  direds  them  how  they  might 
pbtain  their  dcfire,  and  the  King  how  he  fbould  behave  himfelf" in 
the  Management  of  that  Authority  invefted  in  him. 
■  Now  here  we  cannot  but  obferve,  that  God  does  not  tell  them,  that 
'  ;n  fuch  a  Cafe,  Tl^ey  were  the  Original  of  all  Tower  themfelves^  that  their 
J\jng  would  be  only  their  Truflee^  and  that  they  might  confer  the  F^yal  Po- 
ycer  upon  any  Man  when  they  pleased  ;  but,  on  the  contraryjhe  tells  them. 
When  thou  foah  fay ^  I  will  make  a  K^ng  over  me^  thou^alt  in  any  wifefet 
him  KJng  over  thee^  Deut.  17.  14,  i<.  Not  whom  thou  thy  felf  ihalt 
chufe,  but  whom  the  Lord  thy  God  Jhall  chufe.  And  the  People  were  fo 
fenfibb  that:  they  could  not  give  any  fuch  Power  to  any  Man  as  was 
necefiliryto  make  him  a  real  King,  that,  when  they  had  a  mind  to 
One,  they  never  pretended  to  chufe  or  make  One  themfelves,but  they 
apply  thtmfelres  to  ^^;;?w^^/,  who  till  then  had  been  their  Go veraour 
by  God's  own  Appointment ;  and  thus  they  Addrefs  themfelves  to 
him,  Behold  thou  art  Old^  and  thy  Sons  walk  not  in  thy  ways  ;  now  niake  u\ 
a  iQng  to^udge  m  like  all  the  Nations^  1  Sam.  8.  5.  Which  very  paf- 
iagecontiriiis  thofe  Affertions  of  the  Heathen  Writers  mentioned  be- 
fore  :  Samuel  receives  their  Petition,  but  Confiilts  them  t|i farther  in 
the  matter.  He  Commands  them  Every  one  to  their  own  Cities^  v,  22. 
and  then  he  lays  their  P..equeft  before  the  Lord,  who  Commands  him 
to  facile  their  Delires  j  and  then  God  pro'mifes  to  Samuel^  that  he 
•     '■'  ■    Km- 


the  Ihirtieth  of  January,  170 1 


himfelf  would  fend  that  Perfon  to  him,  v)honj  hefhouU  anoint  to  be  Cap- 
tain over  kps  People.  And  accordingly, when  Saul  came  at  the  time  ap- 
pointed, The  lord  faid  unto  Samuel,  Behold  the  Man  of  ipho/^  Ijpaketc^ 
tbee^  this  fame  jhall  I{eign  over  my  people^  i  Sam.  9.  i5,  17,  Upon  this 
Samuel  anoints  Saul^  and  gives  him  the  firft  Kifs  of  Fe?ilty  himfelf,  the 
People  knowing  nothing  of  all  this ;  and  Samuel  fays  to  Sauly  Is  it  not 
becauje  the  Lord  hath  anointed  thee  to  be  Captain  over  hif  Inheritance  f 
I  Sam.  10.  I.  God  then  gives  Saul  the  Spirit  of  Government,  that  he 
might  be  capable  of  that  great  Office,  a  Largefs  which  he  could  fcarcc 
have  receiv'd  from  the  Bounty  of  the  People.  And  now  can  any  Man 
be  ^0  filly,  as  to  think,  that  if  the  Capricious  Multitude  (hould  have  de-^ 
clar'd  againft  Saul^  God  would  have  comply'd  with  their  difcontented 
Humours  ?  The  Choice,  on  the  Solemn  Day  appointed  for  that  pur* 
pofe,  is  not  refer'd  to  the  People,  that  he  who  had  the  moft  Votes 
(hould  carry  it^  but  it's  refer'd  to  the  Lot.  Now,  as  Solomon  teacheth 
us.  The  Lot  is  cafi  into  the  Lap^but  the  difpofal  of  it  is  from  the  Lord^Vrow 
16.  33.  Therefore  to  refer  the  matter  to  the  Xof,  was  to  refer  it  tci 
theXori,and  not  to  the  VeopU.  But,  to  fhew  how  entirely  uncon- 
cern'd  the  Multitude  were  in  this  whole  Tranfaaiofl,  God,  who  can 
do  no  wrongs  and  would  never  rob  the  People  of  their  juft  Rights  and 
Liberties,  was  angry  with  4SVtw/ for  the  Breach  of  that  Orde'r  given, 
him  by  Samuel ;  and  Samuel^  in  the  Name  of  God,  tells  him.  Thou  haji 
done  Foolijhly,  thou  hafi  not  kept  the  Commandment  of  the  Lord  thy  God^ 
for  novo  would  the  Lord  have  Ejlablip^d  thy  Kingdom  over  Ifrael/or  ever^ 
1  Sam,  13.  19,  20,  21.  They  were  not  the  People  who  could  have 
done  it.  Butnow^  fays  he,  thy  Kingdom  Jljall  not  continue  Ctho*fhe 
People  (hould  be  never  fo  fond  of  himj  ne  Lord  hath  fought  him  a 
Man  after  his  ovon  Hearty  and  the  Lord  hath  Commanded  him  to  be  Captain 
Cvn  his  Teople^  becaufe  thou  hafi  not  done  what  the  Lord  Commanded  thee^- 
V.  I*),  16. 

Well,  this  Man  after  God^s  own  Heart  was  Vavidy  the  Son  of  Jeffe  ; 
Samuel  had  told  Saul  before,  Thou  hafi  rejefled  the  Word  of  the  Lord^ 
and  the  Lor d^  not  the  People,  hath  re jeBed  thee  fiom  being  E^ng  over 
Ifrael ;  and  when  6Vz«/ laying  hold  on  SamueVsMzntlQy'^vcntity  Sa- 
muel told  him.  The  Lord^  not  the  People,  hath  Rent  the  K^zngdom  of 
Ji'r^cl  from  thee  this  Day\  and  he^  not  the  People,  bath  given  it  to  a 
Neighbour  of  thine ^  who  is  better  than  thou^  Saip.  15.  27,  2%,  But  did 
God  leave  the  People  more  at  Liberty  in  the  Cafe  01  David  ?  In  SauJ^ 
indeed, //<?^^"J^  them  a  K^ng  in  his  Wrath^  and  took  him  away' in  his 
Vifpleafure.  But  did  he  not  let  the  Ifraelites  pleafe  themfelves  in  the 
choice  of  the  next  Man  ?  No,  Samuel  is  fent  to  Anoint  David  too^ 
when  the  People  never  thought  of  it.  After  this,  God,  by  feverai 
Steps,  brings  him  to  theThrone  at  laft,  i  Sam.  i6.  12.  i3»TheTrr^<p 
pf  jfudah^  indeed,  after  Saul\  Death,  met  him  at  Hchiori'frfi.and  therm 
j4n(iinted  him  their  Kfng^  2  Sam.  2.  4.  After  the  Death  of  ifhbcfheih^ 
^d«/'sSon,  All  the  Tribes  of  Ifrael  came  up  to  Hebron,  ^f^i  there  they 
Anointed  him  K^ng  over  all  Ifraei ;  Nay,  and  there  David  ^^^icje  a  Cove- 
nant wjthxhejm  too  before  the  Lord.    And.  it  may  be,  our  Great  Polity* 

ciar.s^- 


8  ^SERMON  Preached  on 


cian%  who  found  out  the  Hvreb  ConiraB:^  may  call  this  t\i^  Original^ 
Contrafi^  but  that  unhappily  for  them  ;  We  hear  of  no  fuch  Ow/r^fiF 
niade  vdth'Judak.nor  one  Word  of  any  fuch  thing  when  hexvas  Anoint-* 
ed  by  S^tnuel  ^  nor  do  the  People  plead  that  they  had  made  Choice^ 
of  him  of  their  own  Accord^  and  that  they  might  have  Chofen  ano-"" 
ther  if  they  had  pleased  j  Uat  they  tell  Vavid^  In  iime^afl^-whenSzvXj . 
roii/5  Kj^S  ^"^^^  ^^y  ^^^^  ^'-^^  ''^^fl  ^^^  ^'^^  Leddeji  outy  and  Broughiefl  Iri 
Ifrael ;  and  the  Lord  fazd  to  ihee^  thou  jlmh  lEeed  my  People  Ifrael,  ant 
tkoujhalt  be  Captain  over  Ifraelj;  a  Sam,  5.  i,  2, 3.  Hence,  when  Michol^ 
Saul's  Daughter^  Reproach'd  jDavid  for  Dancing  as  he  did  before  the] 
Ark,  David,  replies  upon  her.  It  wm  before  the  Lord,  t6at  lord  who  chofe" 
ffje  before  thy  Fatherland  before  all  his  Houfe^  to  appoint  me  I{uler  over  the 
people  of  the  Lord^  even  over  Ifrael,  2  Sam.  6.  21.    Therefore  the  Pfal-- 
niift  Commemorat.es  not  the  Peoples,  but  God's  Favour  ;  for  He  chofe\ 
David  his  S^rvant^^nd  took  him  from  the  She  epfold^from  following  the  Ews 
Great  with  Toung^  and  brought  him  to  Feed  Jacob  hU   People,  and  Ifrael 
t:li  Inheritance  :  So  he  Fed  them  according  to  the  Integrity  oj  hU  Hearty  and. 
Fouled  them  faithfully  with  all  hi^  Power,  Pfal,  78.  7I,  72,  73. 

But  Varuid  Defil'd  Bathjheba,2ind  Murder'd  Uriah  :  He  gave  Credit'^ 
to  Flattering  Treacherous  Ziba,  and  did  a  great  deal  of  wrong  to  In-' 
nocent  Mephihofheth:  David  Numbred  the  People  in  an  Irregular  and.^ 
Unju/Vifiable  manner,  for  which  his  poor  Subjefts  fufFered  feverely.' 
David  Comm>andcd  feveral  Executions  without  any  Law,  but  his  Owa 
Arbitrary  Will  and  Pleafure :  And  yet  the  People  ivere  fo  dull,  as  ne*; 
yer  to  Call  him  to  an  Account  for  any  of  thefe  things;  they  hevet 
Charge  Him   v^ith  Arhitrarinefs  or  Tyranny,  they  never  complain, 
t^tid^t  He  had  broken  the  Original  Contrnth :,  and,  therefore,  had  loji  a% 
pretences  to  the  VeGi>les  JlUegiance.     Rebels  He  had,  indeed,  and  thof^^ 
Headed  by  his  ovvU  Son,  and  they  were  fuch  as  pretended,  that  Alfd-' 
hm  was  like  to  be  a  Better  Governor  than  David  :  And  Ahfolom  vvas^ 
really  the  Choice  of  the  People,  and  a  wonderful  Inftance  of  theit 
Great  Piety,  Loyalty,  and  Difcretion.    But  David  was  fo  far  from 
thinking  himielf  accountable  to  i*^  5'rj^r^i^«  People  for  any  thing  he 
haddone,th;ir,  under  the  Guilt  of  the  greateft 'Crime  he  had  ever'  ' 
Commicted,  rho'  all  his  Subjefts  were  injur'd  in  the  Barbarous  Ufage 
of  Uriah,  yet  he  never  veilM  to  them,  but  to  God,  as  accountable  to, 
none  but  Him  :  He  confelTes,  Againji  Thee,  Tbce  only  have  I  Sinned, anJt 
dane  ihU  Evil  in  thi  Sight,     And,  while  Kings,  be  they  never  fo  Great,'' 
fear  God,  as  their  Judge,  they  luay  well  be  excufed  from  the  Madnefs 
cf  the  People. 

Again,  David,  drawing  near  his  End,  is  fo  far  from  Repenting^  that 
He  had  taken  up  tlie  Government  of  Jfraely  without  the  Choice  of 
thePeople,  that  he  neither  Confults  them,  nor  the  ordinar^^  Courfe  ^ 
of  Law  as  to  the  Defcent  of  Inheritances.  But  he  palTes  by  his  own^  * 
J^Ider  Sons,  tho'  it  may  be  the  Darlings  of  the  People,  and  by  hu  own 
fole  Authority,  makes  Solomon,  one  ofhisT^^^w^^r  Sons,  His  Heir  and 
Succeffor  in  the  Kingdom  :  And  we  don't  find  any  Commotion  among 
^  the  Pcopl^e  on  this  Occafion^  as  if  they  had  been  deprived  of  their 


the  Thirtieth  of  JanuitYi  i^Or-        „„ '.'9 

Natural  OT  legal  I{jghts.  The  Ten  Tribes  were  zngvy  ^'itld^uddh^ 
becaufe  their  Advice  was  not  taken  in  bringing  Home  their  Kjng^  ifter 
theRebelironot^^/o/owwasqua(b'd:  But  we  don't  find  that  any  of 
them  were  Angry  ^itYiDavidy  becaufe  he  did  not  take  their  Advice 
in  fettling  the  Succeflion.  And  Soloffion^  who^  perhaps,  was  as  Wife  a 
Man,  andasGreataMafterof  Reafon,  as  any  of  our  Modern  preten- 
ders^ when  ^iowijafc  had  incurr'd  his  Difpleafure,  by  asking  ^/4Z'7//;^jf 
for  his  Wife,  does  not  talk  of  his  coming  to  the  Throne  by  the  Choice 
of  the  people ;  but  he  referrs  It  to  God  only.  It  was  God,  voko  had  Efla- 
ilijhed  hiWy  andfet  him  on  the  Throne  of  DaVid,  his  Father ;  i  Kings  2i 
24.  And,  in  his  Prayer  at  the  Bigh-place  in  Gibeon ;  Thouy  fays  he^  0 
Lordy  my  Gody  haft  made  thy  Servant  iQng  in  the  room  of  Davld^  niy  Fa- 
ther.    I  Kings  3.  7*  7 ;■' 

And  thus,  when  God  fefolv'dtoPunifli  the  taltufes  otSo'lomn'^ 
Old-Age^  by  cutting  the  Kingdom  of  his  Son  l^ehoboam  fliort :  A  hi  jab 
the  Frophet  tells  ^eroboam^(notth^t  the  People,  according  to  their  owil 
Fancy,  ftould,  upon^ir  firft  Difguft  with  Kehoboamy  chule  hinij  and 
make  him  their  King;  but  he  tells  him)  in  the  NameofOod,  Ivoilt 
take  the  Kingdom  out  of  the  Hand  of  the  Son  of  Solomon  ;  anJ[  1  rviUgive 
it  unto  thee ^  even  Ten  Tribes^  and  I  will  have  thee^  and  thoujhalt  Feign 
according  to  All  that  'thy  Soul  defireth^  andjhalt  be  Xjng  over  Ifrael,  li^'w* 
i^-35>B7-  And  therefore,  tho'  the  People,  as  of  a  mutable  Tem- 
per, and  weary  of  the  moft  Glorious  Reign  in  the  World,  were  very 
forward  to  make  Jeroboam  their  King,  We  are  told,  that  The  Caufe  was 
of  the  Lordj  1  K^ngs  1 2.  24.  And  therefore,  God,  by  the  Prophet  She- 
maiah^  forbad  J^hoboam  to  Arm  for  the  Recovery  of  th^ofe  Revolted 
Tribes.  And  when  Abi]am^  the  Sort  of  /^fcoZ>(?^Av,reproache5  Jerobodni 
forhis  Rebellion,  He  does  not  Charge  him  with  Rebelling  againft  Ofie 
^homthe  People  had  Elefted  for  their  King;  But^  Ought  ye  not  to 
inow^  fays  he,  that  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael,  gave  the  l^ngdotn  of  Ifrael  to 
David  for  ever^  even  to  him^  and  to  his  Son^  by  an  everlajiing  Covenants, 
2  Chron.  13.  5*  And  aga»in,  when  God  defign'd  to  root  out  the  Pofte- 
rity  of  wicked  Ahab^EUjha  fends  one  of  the  Sons  of  the  Prophets  to  %- 
fnoth  Gileady  to  Anoint  Jehu  -King  of  Ifraeh  And  he  had  no  more  to 
do,  but,  upon  the  Aftion  of  Anointing  him,  to  tell  him,  Thwi^  faith  the 
\jotdiJhave  Anointed  thee  iQng  over  Ifrael.  And  ftrait  his  Fellow  Com- 
manders, who  might  have  envy'd  his  Preferment  above  them,  or  have 
been  Angry  becaufe  he  had  not  asked  their  Confent  firft,  quite  forgot 
2\\t\it\x  Natural  lights  ^nA  Privileges^  and  immediately  Pfoelaim'd 
Jehu  King. 

.  This  (b\e  power  of  Making  and  JDeihronitig  J^ngs^  God  affumcs  to 
Himfelf^  not  only  in  Ifrael^  but  in  all  other  Countries*  Thus  of  Old 
He  had  promised  Kings,  and  Princes,  and  Captains,  to  Jfnmacl,,  Efau^ 
and  others,  and  had  made  them  part  of  thofe  Bleffings  which  Hein- 
iended  to  beftow  upon  them  in  prOcefs  of  time.  So  Ifaiab  fpeaks  con- 
terning  Cyrm,  two  Hundred  Years  before  his  Birth.  Cyrus  is  ^?y  A- 
fiointedy  not  the  Anointed  of  the  People,  whofe  night  Hand  I  have  hot- 
ien  to  fubdue  Ncitm$  before  Him  i  I  will  hofe  tk  Loiris  of  KJr^gs  befort 

B  " '       him  i 


JO  A  SEKHOU  PreaMoH 

Hm  ;  /  v^ill  break  in  pkcesJhe  Gates  of  Brafsy  and  cut  afunder  the  Bars  of 
Iron  :  I  d/77  the  lord,  and  there  U  none  elfe  ;  there  U  no  God  befide  Me  :. 
Tnut  they  may  know  from  the  rifmg  of  theSun  to  the  going  down  ofthefamCy 
that  there  is  none  befide  Ale  :  lam  the  Lord ^  and  there  is  none  elfe.  ]fa. 
45.  I,  2,  5,  6.  And,  iYiO*  CyruiAii.  not  know  the  God  of  7/r(z^/ as  fuch, 
nor  what  the  Prophet  had  foretold  concerning  Him,  yet  he  Ta-w  more 
of  Truth,  by  that  dim  Light  he  had,  than  our  Atheifiical  Scribblers  do*. 
For,  in  his  Ed'i^l  for  the  Return  of  the  Gaptive  Jervs^  and  the  Rebuil- 
ding of  their  Temple,  T%m^^  faith  Cyrm  King  of  Ver^a,  the  Lord  God 
cf  Heaven  hath  given  me  All  the  lQngdom$-  upon  Earths  E\ra  i.  2.  And, 
llnce  Rings  are  fometimes  as  Senfelefs  as  their  Subjeds,  and  forget 
that  all  Power  is  frdm  Gody  God  to  teach  them  better,  laid  that  terri- 
ble Judgment  upon  haughty  AVt^nT/Ww^^^^^r,  to  drive  him  from  among 
Men,  and  to  make  him  as  a  Beaft,  to  Confort  with  Beafts  only,  that 
he  might  Learn  that  Leffon  perfeftly.  That  the  moft  High  I^uleth  in  the 
K^ngdowsof  Men,  and  give th  them  to  whom  he  will*  This  the  Voice 
from  Heaven  Eccho*d  in  his  Ears  at  YiisTransformation^  that  he  (houldt 
fiiiFer  till  he  was  throughly  Convinc'd  of  that  Truth:  And  tofhow 
that  he  had  not  been  Ghaftized  in  vain,  when  he  became  a  Man  again 
he  openly  confefles,  '  That  God*s  Dominion  is  an  everlafting.Domi- 

*  nion,  and  his  Kingdom  is  fronr  Generation  to  Generation  ^  That  he  ^ 
'  does  according  to  His  Will  in  the  Armies  of  Heaven,  and  among  the 
^  Inhabitants  upon  Earth.  That  His  Works  were  Truth,  and  his  Ways 
^  Judgment,  and  fuch  as  Wallc  in  Pride,  He  is  able  to  Abafe*  i?tf«,  4* 
^  20,33,34,35,36,37. 

.  Now,  from  all  thefe  Inftances  I  argue,- That  if  God,  without  Con- 
futing the  People,  made  Mofesy  Said^  Da^jid^  Solomon^  ^eroboam^  Baa- 
Jha^  Jeku^  Cyrm^  Nebuchadne^^ar^  and  others.  Kings  of  their  feverab 
Kingdoms,  and  affumes  this  Glory  to  Himfelf  alone ;  And  if  all  thefe 
Princes,  both  who  knew  the  true  God,  and  v/ho  knew  him  nst,  afcri- 
bed  the  Glory  of  their  Exaltation  only  to  Him;  Andifthis  was  the 
LelTon  which  God  always  took  care  to  imprint  upon  the  Minds  of  all 
Men,  then  the  People  whom  thefe  Princes  Governed,  did  not  confer  • 
the  Royal  Power  and  Authority  upon  them.  But  the  Firfl  is  true,  and 
prov'd  by  every  Inilance  given,  and  there  can  be  no  Inftance  given  t^ 
the  contrary;  and  therefore  the  X<j/?  is  true  too.    But  to  proceed, 

,  2(i/;,  Let  us  fee  next,  what  the  Do^rine  of  the  Eflablifh^d  Church  of 
England  is  in  this  particular^  and  whether  that  Church  fixes-'tfc^  Origi- 
nal of  Tower  in  GcdyOr  in  the  Teofle^  And  here,,  in  the  firft  place  we  are  - 
told.  That '  The  Rule  ,ind  Government  of  all  Eftates  and  Degrees  of 
*-  Men  is  committed  to  the  Charge  of  our  Princes  by  God^  AB:s  37. 
'there's  no  mention  of  the  People  there.  The  Church  Preaches  the 
fimi:  Doctrine,  and  afferts  the  Z?/V/;7^/(/^i[rf,  or  Original  of  Kit^gs  in 
h:: I  Homilies.,  and  which  none  of  our  Clergv  can  contradift  without 
)%jurv.  *  Godi^fnyjfhe.,  not  only  Ordain'd,  that  in  Families  and- 
^  Honlhotds  the  Wife  frould  be  Obedient  unto  her  Husl^nd,  the  Chil- 

*  dren  unro  their  Parents,  the  Servants  unto  their  Malters  \  but  alfo, 

'  when  i 


the  Thirtieth  of  January,  i  yo'i.  \  r 

'  when  Mankind  increafed,  an^  fpread  themfelves  more  largely  over 

*  the  World,  He,  by  his  Holy  Wor(^  did  Cpnffitute  and  Ordain  in 

*  Cities  and  Countries^  feveral  and  ipecial  Governors  and  Rulers,  u'h- 

*  to  wl^m  the  Refidueof  the  People  fhould  be  Obedient,  I{o^.  13. 
After  this  the  Church  refers  herfel  ftp  the  Dpftrine  of  St.  Paul  and  St. 
Teter^  \  Pet.  2;,  and  haying  cited  them  at  large.  She  infers  from  fheir 
Words,  That  *  It  is  nioftevident,Thatlvings,  Qiieens,and  other  Prin- 
*;ces,  ar<?  Ordain'd  of  God,  and  are  to  be  Obey'd  and  Honour'd  by 
•iheirSubjefts;  That  fuch  Subjefts  as  are  Rebellious  and  Difobedient 
*^to  their  Princes,  Difobey  God,  and  procure  their  own  Damnation : 

*  That  the  Government  of  Princes  is  a  Blefiing  of  God,  given  for  the 
'  Publick  Weal,  and  efpecially  of  the  Good  and  Godly  ;  for  the  Com- 

*  fort  and  Cherifhing  of  whom,  God  fetteth  up  Princes.  Finally^  She 
teaches^  'That  if  Servants  ought  to  Obey  their  Mailers,  not  only 
^  being  Gentle,  but  fuch  as  are  Frowar4;  as  well,  and  much  mori, 
^  ought  Subjefts  to  be  Obedient,  not  only  to  the  iGood  and  Cour6rous„ 

*  but  alfo  to  Sharp  and  Rigorous  Princes.    It  co;iies,  therefore,  nei- 

*  ther  of  Chance,  nor  JFortune,  nor  of  the  Aiijbition  of  Mprtal  Men  or 

*  Women,  Climbing  up  of  their  own  Accord  to  Dominion,  that  there 

*  are  Kings,  Queens,  Princes,  and  other  Goyernpurs  over  Men,  who 

*  are  their  Subjefts.  But  all  Kings,  Qiieens,  Princes,  and  other  Gover- 

*  nours,  are  efpecially  appointed  by  the  Ordinance  of  Go^^^     And  ijs 

*  God  Himfelf,  being  of  an  Infinite  Majefty,  Power,  and  Wifdoni,'Ri!- 

*  leth  and  Governeth  all  things  in  Heaven  and  Earth,  as  the  tTnivcr- 

*  fal  Monarch,  and  Only  King. over  All,  as  being  able  to  take  and  bear 

*  the  Charge  of  All  •,  fo  hath  He  Conftituted,  Ordain'd,  and  fet  Earth- 
*ly  Princes  over  particular  Kings  and  Dominion  on  Earth,  both  for 

*  the  avoiding  of  all  Confufion,  which  would  be  in  the  Worlds  if  i^ 

*  fhould  be  without  Governours,  and  for  the  great 

*  Quiet  and  Benefit  of  Earthly  Men,  their  ^iib-         Jj^ahifl  wilfull 

*  jeds  ;  and  alfo  that  the  Princes  themfelves  in  ^bsllion ^Hoimlh 
^  Authority,  Power,Wifdom,Prudence^j-and  Iiigl> 

*  teoufnefs  in  the  Government  of  the  People,  and  Countries,  commit- 

*  ted  to  their  Charge,(hould  refemble  His  Heavenly  Gpyernment  fo  far 

*  as  Heavenly  may  be  (hadow'd  out  by  Earthly  tjiings.  Here,then,  ouic 
Church' makes  neither  Govern/^ent^  nor  Governours^  z  Humane  Invent 
tion,  but  a  Dhine  Infthution ;  and'affures  us,  That  not  the  People,  but 
God  himfcilf,  who  is  the  Centre  of  all  Power  and  Sovereignty,  fets  up 
Princes  arid  Governours,  whom,  and  were  he  lifts,  and  nptasMeri 
pleafe,  or  as  the  Giddy  Multitude  fancv. 

Hence  Henry  VlII.  who  gave  the  firfl  Shock  to  papal  Tyranny  in 
thefe  Kingdoms,  in  the  Comrnifllon  which  he  gave  for  the  l^eformatkn 
of  Ecdcfiaflicql  Laws ;  which  Work  was'finifhed,  tho'  not  Authorized, 
in  the  Reign  of  his  Son  Edroard  Vf.  tells  the  Nation,  ^  That  t>iey,  ac- 
•^  cording  to  all  the  Laws,  both  of  God  and  Man,  had  acknowledg'd 
•him  the  Only  and  Supream  Head  of  the  Church,  immediately  wn- 
•der  God,  and  had  Unanimouny  declar'a,   riutail  Power,  both  Ec- 

'      E^  '  ^clefiaftic^l 


J  X  ^SERMON  Preached  on 

^clefiaftical  and  Temporal,  belong'd,  and, 
jpf0  ^ure  plvmn,  ViL  '  was  given  to  him  and  his  Succefforsby  Di-^ 
^fprnu  X<?.  EccUf.       <  vine  Rights    Which  none  but  the  Slaves  of 

B^m^.  thea  deny'd  in  the  Senfe  in  which  that. 

Prince  took  it ;  and  none  but  Papifts  and 
their  Confederates  now  oppofe;  nor  is  there  any  more  direft  way 
for  the  Re-admiffion  of  POFERY  into  thefe  Kingdoms^  than  to 
deny  the  Supremacy  of  our  Princes,  as  the  irotcfc  Presbyterians  do: 
And  the  Divine  j{i/bt  of  Sovereignty,  as  our  Seflaries  and  Atheifts  do 
in  EngJani.  That  Convocation  which  fat  in  the  Year  1640,  which  was 
the  firft  that  ever  made  a  Canon,  particularly  to  prevent  the  GrowtK 
of  POPERY  and  SOCINIANISM,  thofe  Poifonous  Weeds  which 
now  flourish  fo'much  in  our  EngUjh  Soil,  'took  care,  in  the  firft  place, 
to  Order  all  the  Beneficed  Clergy  to  declare,  on  fome  Lord's  Day, 
four  times  every  Year,  Audibly  to  their  Congregations,    *  That  the 

*  moft  High  and  Sacred  Order  of  Kings  is  of  Divine  j^ight,  being  the 
^  Ordinance  of  God  Himfelf,  founded  in  the  Prime  lUws  of  Nature, 

<  and  clearly  Eftablilh'd  by  Exprefs  Text,  both 

of    the     ^egal     *  of  the  Old  and  New-Teftament.    A  fupream 

Tovoer.  Cant.  i.        *  Power  is  given  to  this  moft  Excellent  Order  by 

^  God  Himfelf  in  Scripture;  which  is.  That  Kings 

•^fhould  Rule  and  Command  in  their  feveral  Dominions,  all  Perfons 

•^  of  what  Rank  or  Eftate  foever,  whether  Ecclefiaftical  or  Civil,  and 

*  that  they  fhould  Reftrain  and  PuniOi  with  the  Temporal  Sword,  all 
<  Stubborn  and  Wicked  Men;  All  which,  tho'  thefe  Canons  were 
quarrel'd  with,  becaufe  of  Tome  fUppos'd  Irregularity  in  the  paffing 
of  them,  is  no  more  than  what  every  One,  who  has  any  Acquaintance 
v/ith,  oxKtvtxtnctioitheWrittenWoriiof  God^  knows  very  well  to 
be  agreeable  to  it.  And  hence  it  was  that  the  Gloriom  Martyr  of  this, 
Day^  when  he  was  before  thofe  Execrable  Wretches,  who  Compos'd. 

that  which  they  cajl'd  The  Nigh  Court  of  ^ujiice^ 

Nalfon'r  Joi'imal      declin'd  their  Authority,  and  told  them,  like  a 

pa^e  35.  King,    « I  fliall  not  betray  my  Truft  ;  I  have  a 

^Truft  Committed  to  Me  by  God,  by  Old  and 

*  "^  Lawful  Dcfcent :  I  will  not  betray  it  to  anfwer  to  a  New  Unlawful 

^  Authority.     And  it  may  be  there  were  few  then  Living,  who  knew 

better  what  the  Laws  of  God,  and  of  this  Nation  required,  than  that 

Pious  Prince. 

Let  us  now  look  into  our  Publick  Liturgy,  which  is  part  of  the  Sta- 
tute-Law of  this  Kingdom,  and  fee  how  that  Teaches  us  to  exprefs 
our  felves  in  our  folemn  Addreffes  to  Almighty  God  \  and  in  that,  cer- 
tainly our  Sovereign,  with  the  Three  Eftates  of  this  Realm,  in  Par- 
liament AiTembled,  would  not  Teach  us  to  Banter  our  Maker,  or 
'to  make  Acknowledgments  before  the  Great  Judge  of  all  the  World, 
contrary  to  the  laws  of  Nature^  as  they  are  call'd;  and  the  Juft 
ilights  and  Liberties  of  the  People  of  England.  The  BleM  Martyr 
oj  ihif  Day^  in  his  admirable  Meditations,  obferves.  That  One, 
fGreUt.  Pique  his  Enemies  hadagainft  our  Liturgv,  was,  That  it 
■  "  ,/  :'.'..      •.  "'  tausht 


the  Thirtieth  of  Jd^nmry,  170^.  i^ 


« taught  them  to  pray  fo  frequently  for  him.  And,  Indeed,  the  . 
Forms  of  Prayer  in  that  Liturgy  are  fuch,  that  nqne  can  joyn  hearti-^: 
ly  with  them,  but  they  muft  abhor  this  Principle;  That  Princes- 
derive  their  Power  fiom  the  People,  as  it's  Ivlaintain'd,  either  by 
Heretical  Papifis,  Fanatical  SchifntatickSy  or  Brutijl)  Libertines  d^nd* 
Atheifls. 

■  In  our  Liturgy,  the  Colleft  at  Morning  and  Evening  Prayer  for- 
the  Queens  Majefty,  teaches  us,  to  Stile  God,  our  Heavenly  Fa- 
ther, Kj^i  of  Ki^^^y  ^^^^  ^/  L$riy  the  only  Fouler  of  Princes.  AnA 
qertainly,  if  God  be  the  only  Ruler  of  Princes,  then  Princes  can* 
not  be  accountable  to  any  but  Him.  For  Nature  Teaches  us  to 
be  fubjeil,  not  to  thofe  whom  we  Govern,  which  would  be  a  Con- 
tradiftion  in  Terms,  but  to  be  fubjeft  to  fuch  as  Govern  us;  And 
they  who  forget  this,  take  very  little  heed  to  their  Devotions.  A- 
gain,  when  we  come  to  the  moft  Sacred  Ordinance  of  the  Lord's 
Supper^  when  we  ought  to  fet  t^e  fevereft  Guard  both  upon  our 
Hearts  and  Lips ;  We  there  beg  of  God,  '  That  He  would  fo  R.ule' 
*the  Heart  of  his  chofen  Servant  (hot  Ours)  ANNEy  our 
*  Queen  and  Governour,  that  She  knowing  '  whofe  Minifter  She 
is,  i.  e.  That  She  is  the  Minifler  of  God,  not  the  Minifrer  or 
Truftee  of  the  People,  may,  above  all  things,  feek  God's  Ho- 
nour and  Glory:  Without  which  Care  Her  Government  can 
never  be  Happy  or  Bleft.  *And  that  we  and  all  Her  Subje^ls, 
^•duly  confidering  whofe  Authority  She  '  hath,  may  faithfully 
<  Serve,  Honour,  and  humbly  Obey  Her  in  God,  and  for  God, 
^.according  to  His  bleffed  Word  and  Ordinance,  But  now,  if 
the  Sovereign's  Authority  be  deriv'd  from  the  People,  j:hat 
Confideration  is  not  apt  to- Teach  us  Fidelity  and  Obedience, 
but  Infolence  and  Stubbornnefs ;  to  Treat  our  Queen  only  as 
the  Cr^^ff^r^  0/ t^^  People  ^  to  Threatea  Her  with  the  Original 
Magazine  of  Power ;  to  call  Her  to  an  Account  for  every  Frai^ 
ty  of  Humane  Nature ;  and  for  every  unhappy  Event,  tho' of 
the  beft-laid  Defigns,  and  of  the  moft  prudent  Counfels.  To 
let    Her    know     that   She's    upon    her  good   Behaviour  ;   and 

v^hen  Her  Sovereign  Creator  pleafe,  niuft  lay 
Volente  Juhente  by  Her  Dieu  GT  Mon  Droit^  and  take  up.  By 
Populo  Anglic  the  Will  and.  Command  of  the  People  of  England, 
cano.  And    this  is    what  our    Fafiiom   and     Atheiflkal 

Scribblers  would  fain  be  at,  when  they  deny 
Trier  Hereditary  J{ight 'y  and  make  all  Her  Power  to  rife  only 
from  the  Confent  of  the  People.  In  the  next  Colleft  we  pray 
for  ANNEy  God's  Servant^  not  Ours;  but  Qur  Ouecn  and  Go- 
verneur  :  And  in  the  Prayer  for  the  Church  Militant^  it  is  AlSll^Ey 
Thy  Servanty  not  Ours:  All  which  Exprefiions  would  be  abo- 
mirtably  Prophane,  and  Impudent,  if  our  Queen  be  the  Servant 
of  the  People,  and  the  People  be  the  }{eal  Sovereign  both  of 
Church  and  Stateo 

Again 


14  A  SERMON  Preac&e^oH 

Again,  in  the  laft  Colleft,  in  the  Old  CdtTimon'Trayer-Booh^  for  thb' 

Service  of  this  Day,  we  are  taught  to  Thar^  God  that, ^  Tho*  ^ 

*forour  many  and  great  Provocations,  he  did  fuiFer  his  Anointed  to* 

*  fali  ttris  Day  into  the  Hands  of  Violent  and  Blood-thirfty  Men,  and 
SBarbacoufly  to  be  Murdered  by  them,  yet  he  did  not  leave  us  as 
f  Sheep  without  a  Shepherd,  but  did  preferve  our  moft  Gracious  So^ 

*  vereign  Charles  11.  and  did  bring  him  back  to  Sit  in  Peace  upon  the 
'  Throne  of  his  Father,  and  to  Exercife  that  Authority  over  us,  which, 

*  of  hisfpecial  Grace  He^  i.  e.  God  ;  not  We^  i.  e.  the  Teophy  had  Com- 

*  mitted  to  him.  And  over  and  over  we  are  taught  in  that  Service  t6 
call  our  Martfr'd  Monarchy  God's  An}>znted  :  A  Title  which  our  roeU^ 
Temper  d  Fa^ionifls  and  Aiheifls  fo  heartily  Ridicule.  In  the  Office' 
for  tHiQ  Thankfgivmg^  May  the  29th,  in  the  firft  Colleft,  «  We  Pro- 

*  mife  in.  God,  ^nd  for  God,  all  Loyal  and  Dutiful  Allegiance  to  his 

*  Anointed  Servant  Charles  11.  and  his  Heirs  after  him.  In  the  next 
CoHeft,  we  Biefs  God,  ^  For  that  he  did  on  that  Day  firft  bring  into 
*tic  World,  and  then  bring  back  and  reftore  to  us,  and  to  his  own 
*Juft  and  Undoubted  Rights,  our  moft  Gracious  Sovereign  Lord  his 

*  Servant  King  CW/(?^.  But  what  Rights  could  he  have  of  his  op.^«, 
\jYiOk  Father  had  been  DethronU  Imprifon'd,  Try'd,  and  Barbaroufly 
Murder'd,  and  himfelf  Profcrib'd,  and  Hunted  after  by  the  fame 
B/ooi-//o««ii,  to  the  utmoft  Hazard  of  his  Life?  A-nd  ro  own  whofe 
Hereditary  Right  to  the  EngUjh  Crown,  was  made  Treafon  h)'  the 
prevailing  Rebels  P  Again,  at  the  end  of  the  Litany,  ^  W^e  acknow- 
Pledge  God^s  efpecial  Grace,  by  which  he  brought  Home  to  ushii 
•^  Servant  King  Charles,  our  Sovereign,  and  that //^,  not  If^^?,  plac'd' 
♦^him  on  the  Throne  of  this  Kingdom.  And  in  the  lafi:  Colleft  for 
that  Day,  we  beg,  ^  That  God  would  receive  our  Humble  Prayers,- 
^  with  our  Thankfgivings,  for  our  Sovereign  Lord  Charles^  fet  over  us, 
^Nothyourfelves^  but  by  his  Grace  and  Providence,  to  be  our  King. 
^  Thus  our  Church,  in  her  pubiick  Devotions^  teaches  us,  to  Recog- 
^  nize  the  Authority  of  our  Kings  and  Qiieens,  not  as  derived  from 

*  the  People,  but  as  dei  iv'd  from  Heaven  ;  and  they  muft  be  precious 
Sons  of  the  Church  of  England^  Who  can  joyn  in  all  thtfe  Prayers  to 
God  with  theii?  Lips,  and  yet  in  their  Hearts  deny'  every  Word  they 
fpeak, 

Weil,  but  it  may  be  thefe  were  Doftrines  and  Devotions  cur- 
rent only  when  High-Church  prevaiPd,  and  when  the  prefent  P^/> 
lent  Humor  of  Moderation  w'd.'^  not  fo  much  Admir'd  ;  but  now  that 
our  Faclioui  Jtheifts  have  Blefs'd  the  Nation  with  thdrNewFoHtuk 
Schemes  of  Government^  and  have  made  the  People,  not  the  PriWce, 
our  Rightful  Sovereign,  Our  Bifliops  may  have  Learn'd  better  things, 
and  may  have  Modeird  the  Service  of  thefe  Red-Letter'd-Days,  ac- 
cording to  the  A.dmirable  Rules  oi  Mariana^  Buchanan^  Hottom an ^ 
Milton^  Sidney y  Lock^  Toland^  Tutchin^  and  Other  I^ew  Lights  of  thfrfe 
later  Ages.  No,  our  CJiurch  Govtrnours,  dull  as  they 'are,  are  not 
yet  fo  farEdify'd;  a  great  deal  of  that  High-Cb^r^'h  Leaven^  i.  e.  of 
GencyQui  Fiety  and  Hor^fly^  appears  ftill  in  ih'^ir  publick  Compofltions. 

.      ^'  Hence 


theJhirtiethof  JsLvmary^  1707^  15 

Hence  in  theprefent  Hymn  for  this  Day,  they  apply  thofe  Words 
ISO  the  Cafe  of  our  Martyr'd  Sovereign,  ^  The  People  ftood  itp,  and 
*)the  Rulers  took  Counfel  together  againft  the  Lord^  and  againit 
^  his  Anointed;  and  *  The  Breath  of  our  Noftrils,  the  Anointed  of 
*the  Lord  was  taken  in  their  Nets ;  even  the  Man  of  God's  Right 

•  Hand,  the  Man  whom  he  had  made  fo  ftrong  to  him-feif.  In  the  Ser- 
vice for  the  29th  of  ^lay,  we  call  Hef  prefent  Ma)efty^.not  the  Pecv 
plcSyhutGod's  Anointed  jet  over  ixi\  an'd  m  the  Form  of  Tl?ank£^iv2Kg 
for  Her  Majefties  Acceis  to  the  Throne,  March  fht'ith'j  ^Vife  yield 
•our  Unfeigned  Thanks  to  God,  for  that  he  was  pleased,  as  oa 
•this  Day,  to  place  his  Servant  our  Sovereign  Lady,  Q^ecn  Jnnc^ 

•  upon   the   Throne  of  thefe  Kingdoms.    And  again,   *  We  Pray 

•  and  give  Thanks  for  our  Sovereign  Lady  Anne,  as  on  this  Day 
•fetover  us,  not  by  our  own^  but  by  his  Grace  and  Providence, 
•to  be  our  Queen.  Again,  we  own  him,  *Our  raoft  Graciousr 
•Gody  who  has  fethis  Servant  \/I««^,  our  Qiieen,  upon  the  Throne 
•of  her  Anceftors.  Which  looks  very  like  Acknowledging  her 
Right  by  Succeflion ;  and  which  thofe  who  deny,  doubt lefs  have 
fome  other  Nearer  Heir  in  their  Eye,  tho'  they  are  fo  loud  in' 
their  Outcried  againffi  ^acobjteSy  as  the  Thref  is  ready  to  cry 
flop  Tlfj/^'firft. 

Farther  yet,  ^  We  acknowledge,  with  Humble  and  Thankful 
•Hearts,  God*s great  Goodnefs  to  us  in  fetting  his  Servant,  and 
•ourmoft  Gracious  Queen,  over  this  Church  and  Nation.  And 
now,  are  not  thofe  v;ell  flock'd  with  Confidence,  who,  after  all 
this,  can  talk  of  nothing  but  Our  Sovereign  Lords  -the  People  iV^ho 
will  alter  the  Royal  Stile  from  Anne^  by  the  Grace  of  God^  to 
Anney  by  the  Grace  and  Favour  of  the  Feopky  Queen  of  England  ? 
Why  don't  they  oblige  our  Governours,  not  to  Thank  God  for  rai- 
fing  our  Queen  to  the  Throne  of  her  Anceftors  ;  but  if  they  will 
take  any  Notice  of  him  in  fuch  a  weighty  Affair,  to  Thank  him 
for  putting  it  into  their  Heads  to  make  fo  good  a  Choice  for" 
themfelves,  tho'  it  may  he  by  following  their  Imaginary  Laws  of 
Nature,  they  think  they  could  have  done  as  well  without  him  ? 
Such  Prayers  would  beil  fuit  with  fuch  Subjefts,  and  fuch  Chri- 
ftians;  and  they  fhould  Pray  yet  farther,  agreeably  to  their  Prin- 
ciples, 'That God  would  ptit  it  into  her  Majefties  Mind,  That/ 
•as  (he  has  receiv'd  her  Authority  from  the  People,  fo   fhe's  ac- 

•  countable  to  them  again  for  the  Ufe  of  itt,  and  that  (he'sQiieeii ' 
•fo  longasfhe  behaves  herfclf  well,  and  may  be  laid  afide  as  fpoif 
'as  ever  the  Humour  takes  her  Mafters,  and  they  have  a  Mind  to. 
•another  Prince,  or  another  Govern rnenr. 

'^dlfy  But,  whatever  God's  Word,  and  our  own.  Publick  Forms 
of  Prayer  and  Homilies,  or  Articles  may  fay,  we  are  to  remember,^ 
according  to  fome  Modern  Inftruiiions  given  us  by  One,  who  is 
a  great  Honour  to  our  New  Aca^iemies'^  Not  that  we  are  Chriffi- 
nnSy  but  that  we  arc  En^ilifo'/verf,  tho'  I  fear  fuch  SubtU"  Diftingui- 
fhers  have  forgotten   that  they  are  either.    Hence  it  is,  th;jt"wa 

mkft 


i6  A  SERMON  Preached  on ^^ 

'IJMI      I  ■  ■     «       -       ■II     ■— — ,  -I  ,  ,    ,  ...  ■! 

muft  not  concern  our  fdves  with  what  Goi  fays,  or  what  the  Cfiwrd! 
fays,  but  what  the  Lav)  fays.-  Well  then,  we'll  joyn  Iffue  wiDk 
them  there  too,  and  it  may  be  we  fhall  .find  that  Lano  favours  their* 
Seditious  Notion  no  more  than  GofpeL  If  we  caft  our  Eyes* 
upon  the  Civil  "Law,  we  find  Juftiniariy  in' 

I>eo  JuBdre  nofirunt  the  Front  both  of  the  j9/g^y?i  ^ni  Novels,' 
Gubernatite  Im^orium  afferts,  That  It  ipods  God  who  hai  laid  the  Qare^ 
quod  Nobis  a  Ccelefii  of  the  Roman  Empire  upon  him*.  And  yet 
Ma]eflate  traditum efl^  everyone  who  knows  any  thing,  knows  that 
J'nefaiMTriboniantwf  the  J{gman  Empire  was  not  Hereditary,  but' 
'  JEieftive  :  And  I  remember  that  VaJentiniart 
the  Firfi:,  iongj^befbre  that,  being  Chofen  Emperor  by  the  Army^' 
not  without  fonie  Reluftance  on  his  fide,  when  the  fame  Army' 
\vouldhave  had  him  prefently  Nominate  aC^y^r,  as  a  kind  Of  Afli-' 
ftant  to  himfelf  in  the  Government  dfthat  vaft  Empire  ;  Valentinian' 
prefently  ^eprinaands  the  Saucincis  of  the  Propofal,  and  tells  thent,' 
*;That  it  had  been  in  their  Power,  indeed,  whether  they  would' 
*have  Chofen  him  or  not;  but  now,  he  would  have  them  to  know/I 
*that  he  was  their  Emperor,  and  it  belong'd  to  him^  and  notto- 
^rhem  to  take  Careof  fuch  Matters.  Which  would  have  beenai 
very  odd  Compl^ent,  if  Valentinian  had  believ'd  that  he  had  . 
receiv'd  his  Imperial  Power  from  them,  w^hen  they  never  4iad  any 
fuch  Power  thenlfelves,  and  therefore  could  confer  no  fuch  Power' 
upon  him;  what  they  did,  was  no  more  than  what  a  Common-Hall* 
does  in  this  City,  where  they  Chufe  a  Lprd-Mayor,  indeed,^  by  "Ma" 
"jority  of  Votes,  but  he  receives  no  Power  from  that  Choice,  nor* 
can  he,  by  vertue  of  it^  do  any  Aft  belonging  to  the  Office;  but' 
'h^.  Afts  by  vertue  of  thofe  Charters  granted  by  the  Sovereigns^- 
uho  allowed  and  limitted  hi^  Power  at  their  own  Pleafure.       '' 

The  Particular  Laws  of  this  Nation,  of  which  I  remember  Sir 
Edward  Coke  fays,  *  They  are  founded  upon  the  Word  of  God ;  and ' 
the  higheft  Reafon  teach  us  a  very  different  LefTon  from  that,of/4ff /jo-  ' 
toer  being  Originally  in  the  People.    Thus  a  real  Parliament  determin'd 
of  Old,  ^  That  by  fundry  Authentick  Hiftoriesand  Chronicles  it  is 
'  manifeftly  declar'd  and  exprefs'd.  That  this  Realm  of 
24  Henr.      ^England  is  an   Empire,    and  fo  hath  been  accepted 
Sd. C.  i2»    *in  the    World,    Governed    by  one   Supream  Head 
^aad  King,   having    Dignity   and  Royal    Eftate  of 
^  the  Imperial  Crown   of  the  fame.    But  he  cannot  be  that  Su- ' 
pream  Head  and  King  who  derived  his    Authority  from^   and  is 
accountable   to,    any  Other  Power    within    his   Government,  or  ■ 
tvho  has  any  in  his  Kingdom  Co-ordinate   with   himfelf.    Agai% ' 
'  another  Parliament  declares  to  the  fame  King,  '  This 
21  Henr.      *  Your  Grace's  Realm  recognizes  no  Superior  under 
8vi.C.  21.    ^  God,  but  only  your  Grace.    The  Firft    Parliament 
calFd  by  King  y^a^^jes   the   Firft,  defire  that  it  may 
be  Ehafted,- -That  they    being   bcunden    thereto,    both  by  the 
•Laws  of  God  and  Man^  do  Recognize  and  Acknowledge,  that' 


the  Thirtieth  of  January ^  1 70  7 


17 


Finch.  Lib.  -il.  DeL 
Ley.CH.uRex  qtrlc^ 
Vicadus  eft  Summt 
Regis  ad  hoc  eft  Con- 
ftitutas  lit  Regnum^^ 
terreninn  regat  Lorn- 


:*  immediately  upon  the  Diflilution  and  Deceafc  of  Eli:{dhcthl 
f  late  Queen  of  England,    the  Imperial  Crown  ^i  the  Realm. 

*  of  England  did,  by  Inherent  Birth-right,  and  Xawful,  and 
f:  Undoubted,  Succeifion,  defcend,  and  come  to  YourmoftEx- 
^  cellent  Majefty,  and  that  by  the  Goodnefs  of  Ahnighty   God, 

/  and  Lawful  Right  of  Defcent,  under  one  Itripe- 

*  rial  Crown,  your  Majefty  is  of  the  Kingdoms  ^  ^ccob.  ift. 
^  oi  England^   Scotland  y    France  i    and    Ireland^ 

*  the  moft  Potent  ^nd  Mighty  King.  Agreeably  to  which^ 
we  are  told  by  an  Eminent  Lawyer ,  ^  That  the  King  is 
^  the  Head  of  the  Common-wealth  immediately  under  God,, 
:^  and  above  All  Perfon$,  and  in  All  Caufes  ;  and  becaufe 
'  *  he  Reprefents  the  Perfbn  of  G  O  D,   and  bears  His  Image 

*  among  Men,  therefore  the  Law  in  like 

*  manner  afcribes  to  him:   a   Shadow   of 

*  thofe  Excellencies  which  are  in  GOD  5 

*  Of  which  he  reckons  up  feveral.  Nor 
<  could  he  be  immediately  under  GOD, 
^  and  above  all  other  Perfons  in  his  own 
\  Dominiohs^  if  the    People,   in  whatfo- 

'^^  ever  Senfe  underltood,   had  any    Pow- 
-^  er  over  him.    If  we  look  farther  back, 

even  the  Laws  of   Edvoard  the    Confejfof 

tells  us,  *  The  King,    becaufe  he  is  God's 

*  Vicegerent,  not  the  Peoples,  was^Con- 

*  ftituted  to  ilm  End,  That  he  might  Go- 

*  vern  his  Earthly  Kingdom,   and  Reye- 

*  rence  and    Defend  ^-tiis    Churchl      And 
Bra^ofij  an  antient  Atithor,  tells  us,  *  Thau 

*  the  King  ought  to  Exercife  the  Power 

*  of  the  Law,  as  he^  is  the  Vicegerent  and 

*  Minifter  of  GOD  upon  Earth.     Thtis 
we   fee  that  the  Laws   of   the    Nation, 

-  and  our  greateft  Lawyers,  had  no  Notion 
.  of   the  Original  of  Power   being  in  the 

People,  but  they  all  fuppofe  it  derived  from 
GOD  alone. 

-  ^  But  the  Law  tells  us,  l^ii^xThe  High-CGurt  of  Parliayneut,  lii 
which  all  our  Statutes  are  drawn  up,  and  receive  their  Sandtion^ 

*  confiits  of' Three  Efiates ;  wliich  Thre-c  Eftates^  our  Athcifiicd 
■  Scribblers  and  Penny  Politic  tarn  Iiii|>U(lently  tell  us,  are  the  K^/v? 
'^'cr  ^een^  The  Hc;^  of  Lordsj^n^  The  Hotife  of  Corfmo$i.u  _  From 


t  Key: 
A- 


Exercerc    deh. 
poteftatem    jurU 
Dei  vicar h:i  'o  Mini- 
fter.  in  terri^^  BrQA^ 


*      j8  ^sermon  Preached  on 

whence,  if  it  were  true,  it  would  follow,  that  the  Queen^  Lords 
and  Co)?im^ns^  ftand  all  upon  one  Level,  and  if  any  Oneof  thefe 
Three  Eftarcs  fhould  offer  to  Encroach  upon  either  of  the  Other, 
the  other  Two  might  Ad  in  Confederacy,  and  ftrip  the  Firft 
of  all  their  Power,  and  divide  it  between  themfelves ;  and  if  the 
Queen,  Lords  and  Commons^  as  tl>e  Three  Eftates  of  this  Kingdorti, 
are  really  Co-ordinate,  or  upon  the  Level  with  one  another,  the 

Coni'cquence  may  be  Reafonable  enough. 

Vide  Grand  Cafe,  by    But  now,  Unhappily  for  our  Pettifogging 

Stillingfieet^  hzjhps    Politicians,  here  too  our  Statutes  are'whol- 

Ki^hts  defended^    by    ly   Strangers  to  this  matter  ;    where-evcr 

Mr.  Hunt.  they  mention  the  Three  Eftates,  they  call 

them  the  Lords  Spiritual^  the  Lords  Tempv^ 
raly  and  the  Commons^  and  they  diftinguifti  thefe  Three  Eftates 
from  the  Kingj  as  the  Head  and  Ruler  over  them  Ail,  and  fo 
they  do  in  all  the  Kingdoms  in  Chriftendom^  of  whkh  it 
were  eaiie  to  give  Numerous  Inftances,  if  a  Single  Sermon  could 
contain  them. 

I  need  look  no  farther  at  prefent  than  the  Office  for  tht  Fifth 
of  Novcmbcfr,  which  is  a  part  of  our  Statute-Law,  and  the  very 
Tide  of  it  is,    '  A. Form  of  Prayer,  with  Thanksgiving,    for 

*  the  Happy  Deliverance  of  Kjng  James  the  Firfi,  and  the  Three 

*  Ejl^tcs  of  this  B^alniy  froni  the  moft  Traiterous  and  Bloody 

*  intended  MafTacre  by  Gunpowder.     Again,  in  the  Colleiil  for 
'  the  Day  in  the  Communion-Service,  *  We  acknowledge  GOD's 

*  Wifdom,  Power  and  Goodnefs,  in  Preferving  the  Kj^g  ^^^  ^^ 

*  Three  Eftates  of  this  I^ealm  from,  the  Deftrudion  that  Day  in- 
tended againft  them.  In  both  which  places  the  Kjng  and  the  Three 
Eftates  are  plainly  diiliuguifh'd  One  from  another;  and  if  our 
Law  had  fupposM  the  Kjng  One  of  the  Three  Eftates,  it  had,  in 
thcie  raiTages^  fpokcn  of  them  in  fuch  Terms  as  never  Men  in 
their  Wits  had  Ipoken  io  fuch  a  Cafe  before  :  Nor  could  ever 
Men  ta?k  fuch  Nonfenfe  as  our  Two  Houfes  do,  when  they  call 
themfelves,  Her  Majefvies  moft  Dutiful,  and  Obedient  SubjeBs,  if, 
at  the  fame  time  they  Fancy  themfelves  Co-ordinate  with  Her, 
and  to  be  the  Ferfons  from  whom  She  receives  all  Her  Autho- 
rity ;  But  the,  xA.d  for  the  Obfervation  of  this  Day,  has  put  this 

"flatter. out  of  Difpute  Vv^ith  all  but  Beautefeus  and  Traitors^ 
when  it    Declares    and    Enacfts,     *  That   by   thq    Undoubted 

*  Fundamental  Laws  of  this  Kingdom,  neither  the  Peers 
^  of  this  Realm,  nor  the  Coaimons,  nor  both  together  in 
'Parliament,    or  oui  of    Parliament,     nor  the    People   Col- 

.  ledivcly 


the  Thirtieth  of  January,  170'.  i  ^ 


Icdively   or    Reprefentacively,    or  any  other     Perlons    what- 
foever,  had,  hath,  or  ought  to  hayc.  Any  Coercive  power  over  the 
Perfons  of  the  Kings  of  this  jKcalm.    Now 
lay   but  this  Statute  with  that  of  Trca-  25  ^iw.  3. 

foas  in  which  we  are  told,  '  That  to  Le-  C.  2. 

*  vy  War  acainft  our  Sovereign  Lord  the 

♦  King,  in  his  Reahn,  or  to  be  Adherent  to  the  Kings  Enemies 
'  in  his  Realm,  giving  them  Aid  or  Comfort  in  the  Realm,  or 
'  elfewherej' to  imagine  or  go  about  to  compafs  his  Death,  or 
'  his  Reftraint,  or  Imprifonment,  is  Treafon  ;  Which  Sir  £^iP<xri 
Coks  aflures  us  too,  was  High-Trerfon  by  Common  Law  before 
Lav  thefe  Statutes  together,  and  from  them  it  will  follow.  That  All 
who  took  up  Arms  ^gzin&iCharks  the  Firft,  our  ate  Martyr  d  Save- 
raign,  who  Fought  againft  him  in  open  Field,  who  Seizd  him, 
who  Imprifon'd  him,  who  Murder'd  him,  were  Traitors  by  the 
Fundamental  Laws  of  this  Kingdom  ;  of  which  both  King  and 
People  were  fo  very  Senfible  upon  the  Reftauration,  that  to  quiet 
all  fears  arifing  from  any  Guilt  of  that  Nature,  the  Two  Houlcs 
were  very  ready  to  draw  up,  and  the  King  gracioufly  carncft  to 
T>AktheA^  of  Indemnity.  ,    r     r 

Hence  both  our  Church  and  State  have  fixt  thefe  fcvcre 
Charaders  upon  the  Murderers  of  the  Royal  Martyr  and 
the  Aififtants  to,  and  Abettors  of  that  horrid  Adion.  1  he 
Title  of  the  Service  for  this  Day,  and  the  Service  it  ieU, 
which  is  part  of  our  Statute-Law,  call  them,  *  Cruel  and 
'Unreafonible  Men,  Cruel  and  Bloody  Men,  Murderers,  Vio- 
« lent  and  Blood-thirfty  Men,  Barbarous  Murderers,  Bloody  Ene- 
'mies.  Cruel  Men,  Sons  of  Belial,  Violent  and  Ourragipufly 
♦Wicked  Men.  The  Statute  calls  th^,  A  Party  of  Wretcacd 
♦Men,  Defperately  Wicked,  and  hardned  in  their  Impicry, 
'  who   plotted  and  contrived  the  Ruin  and  Deftrudion  of  this 

*  Excellent  Monarchy,  and  with    it,   the  true  Proteftant  Re.i- 

*  gion  which  had  been  long  protcaed  by  it,  and  flovrilhed  un- 
«  der  it.     And  is  not  this  the  Charader  ot   admirable  Prote- 

♦  ftants  and  very  loyal  Subjeds?  Again,  fays  the  Statute,  "Ihey 

*  were  Men  of  pernicious  and   traiterous  Defigns,  who  threw 

♦  down  all  the  Bulwarks  and  Fences  of  Law,  and  fubverted 
♦the  very  Being  and  Conftitution  of  Parliaments,  and  were  not 

♦  fuch  Men  excellent  Patriots,  and-  great  Friends  of  Enn^l./h  Li- 
'berties  and  Properties  ?  Again,  'They  were  fucn  asunder 
'the  Name  and 'Authority  of  Parliamect,  Profecuted  and  Finiai  d 
•their  iong-intcndcd  Treafon  and  Conrpiracy;  their  Higlv^ourr 


2.Q  A  SERMON  Preached  oh 


"■  of  Juftice  was  a  prodigious  and  unheard-of  Tribunal. 5^ and  they 
*iDrought  his  Sacred  Majefty  to  a  Scaffold,  and  there  Miirder'd 

*  him  before  the  Gates  of  his  own  Palace.  The  fame  Statme 
adds,  .  '  By  this  Horrid  Adion,  the  Proteftant  Religion  has  ro- 
''  ceiv'd  the  greateft  Wound  and  Reproach,  and  the   People  o£ 

*  England  the  moft  infupportable  Shame  and  Infamy  that  it  was 

*  poliible  for  the  Enemies  of  God  and  the  King  to  bring  upon 
^  them.  They  were  a  few  Mifcreants,  fiU'd  with  Fanatick  Rage, 
^as  far  from  being  true  Proteftants,  as  from  bei^ng  true  Subjeds. 
'^It  V7as  an  impious  Fac5t,  an  execrable  Murder,  and  an  unpa- 

*  rallel'd  Treafon,  a  villanous  and  abominable  Fadir,  committed 
^  by  Cruel  and  Unreafonable  Men.  And  for  thofe  who  ncglcdt 
io  keep  this  Day  as  a  Day  of  folemn  Falling  and  FmmiUatiqn^ 
they  are  by  the  fame  Authority  Cenfiir'd  as  Infringers  cT  the  Law^ 

*  and  Prophane  Perfons,  who  wilfally  (hut  their  JEyes  horh  againft' 
^  the  Judgments  and  the  Mercies  of  Almighty  G6L  A  Cenfure 
always   to  be  remembered. 

Now  all  this,  if  it  be  Railing,  as  fome  foft  Heads  tvill  be  very 
apt  to  call  it,  it's  the  Railing  of  one  of  thefreeft,  fulleft^  and  hap-*, 
picft Parliaments  that  ever  this  Nation  was  blefs'd  with*  They 
were  throughly  convinced  of  the  Nation^s  Giiilr,  of  the  great 
Terror  of  God's  Judgments,  and  the  BlefTmgs  of  ch^c  won- 
derful Revolution,  by  which  the  Ancient  Government  of  our 
Church  and  vState  were  gracioufly  reftor'd,  and  they  were 
defirous  t:o  perpetuate  God's  Mercies  to  themfelyes  and  us  by 
Solemn  and  Sincere  Humiliation  and  Repent^iKr,  pfitticular- 
ly  for  that  Enormous  Sin  committed  on  this  Day.  The 
Sin  was'  founded  upon  that  Principle,  which  I  have  iiithcrto 
Argued  againil,  viz.  That  all  Power  is  Oripnaiiy  in  the  P&o-* 
flc.     And   upon  the    wnole  we  find,  ^That  ail  thcfe  who  now 

*  Maintain,  and  are  ready  to  Acft  upon  that  Principle,  are  Ene-^ 
Mniestothe  Fundamental  Laws  of  this  Kingdom,  and  to  .cu^ 
■*  common  Religion  and  Liberties ;  that  they  are  Enemies  to 
^  our  EftabUiVd  DoArines  and  Forms   of  Divine  Publick  Ser^ 

*  vice.:  "And  to  conclude,  That  they -are  Open  and  Prouh'd 
'Enemies  to  the  RcveaPd  Word  of  God,  ^nd  to  God  Him^ 
Melf.  i,c\  As  I  aiTerned  at  firft,  all  fuch  as  Undcritand,  and 
riillTt  th^t  Principle,  *  That  all  Power  is  Original]  v  m  the 
'  People,  ^;'^,  arid  muft  /'^Papifts  in  Mafquerade,  or  elfe  down- 
'  ric^hr  Rebels,  Tr^irorSj  Libertines  and  Atbeifts,  » 


Tha;     ; 


4    #«  A  #      IUamA^  ^J.   L.       ..JL        l^A^^MJIL^  — «- 


That  our  Parliamenrs  h^v^'e  ^tal^^n  them  for  no  better,  ap- 
pears hy  thofc  oecyices  appfli,nted  by  Statute  fof  phq  Fifth 
of  Novcjnipery  ^ zi}<^ 'Jox  U^c.  jjfyven^y  Ninth  of  ^^ay;  in  both 
which,  tho'  the  firft:  has  a  particular  Refpe^d  to  Eapifts, 
and  the  other  to  'Facaticks,  we  are  dircdcd  to  Pray,  thac 
the  Prince  Keigning,  and  Confequendy  our  prefent  Gracious 
Queen,  *  May  have  Her  Hands/q  %engthen-         ^  '     y 

*  cd  by  God  with  Judgment  and  Jt^ice,*.tfa^t    f^afi  CalJeFl  afic^. 

*  She    may  cut  oft  all  Tuch  porkers  of  Ini-    fh^  Lititny, 

*  quity  as  turn  Religion  into  ftebqllion,   and  ,:      Lafi  Cvlhif  in 

*  Faith  into    Fadion,  that   they  rpay  never.,   Cpmmmim   5^r- 

*  again    prevail  againft  us ,  nor  Triumph   in     vicf.,  .  p 

*  the  Ruin  of  the    Monarchy,   or   of  God's     ;    ^      • 

^  Church  among  us.      Where  we    fee,  That  ihe  Wifdom  of 
the  Nation    looke4    upon  fuch.  Papifts  as  cqvild  wifh  well  to 
the  Powdcr^Treafony   and  fuch  Proteltants    as  could  think  well 
of  the  Horrid  Murder  of  Charles  tfee  Martyr,    of  Glorious  Me- 
mory, as  Perfons  either  of  the  fame  Religion,  or  of  none  at  all. 
And  fince  fome  Papifts  have  Sainted  fome  of  the  Powder  Traitors^ 
and  feme  Proteftants  have  Sainted  the  Murckrcrs   of  our  late 
Sovereign  ;   fince  few  or  no  Papifts   keep  a  folemn    Thanks- 
giving with  us  on   the   Fifth  of  Novcjnber ;  and   fome  of  them 
rejoyc'd  at    the    Barbarous  Murder    of  that  Pious  Prince,  as? 
one  of  the  greateft    Enemies    of  Popery  in   the   World  ;  and 
fince   few   or  none   of  our   Separatifts    keep  a   folemn    Fail\ 
as  by    Law  Commanded ,     on  the   Thirtieth   of 
January  •  and  we   know  that  fome  of  them  have     Dr.  Ox^^rK 
kept  a  folemn  Faft    on    the    Fifth  of    November^ 
and  that  fome  of  them,  in  fpite  to  the  Supream  Authority  cf 
this  Nation,  do  keep  an  Impious  Feaft    on    the   Thircieth  pf 
January    to   this    very    Day 3    I    can   find    no, 
Reafon  why  fiich  Papifts  and   fuch  Separatifts         Calvcs^Head. 
Ihouid   not  be  joyned  together,  as  Perfons  of    Cluh-Mcn^ 
the    fame,  -both    Politick  and  Religious  Prin- 
ciples :    Or,  as  Sampfons    foxes,    ty'd  by     the  Tails    to    one- 
another,    with    Fire-brands   between   them  ,    to    Burn,    Ruin/ 
and  Deftroy  the  Peace  of  evcfry    Nation    they  Live  in,  whcu 
{hey  have  an   Opportunity.  '' 


How 


'.■      .      ...^..     .                                                     .      .        _                             ■                                                                                                          :,     .                 ..     -. 

4P1 

2X 

^SERMON  PreacheJott 

-1 

How   Numerous    and  how    Heavy  God's  Judgments  have 
been  upon  thefe  Nations  for    that    Execrable    Murder    this' 
Day  Cfommitted   upon  the    Perfon  of  our  J^ate  Gracious  So-  * 
vereign,    we    catinoc  but    See    and    Know,   unlefs    we    are'j^ 
wholly    Stupify'd   and  Deferted.     We  may   fay,    perhaps,  ^^^Ih 
too  many   do.   That   they    were   our    Fathers,    and  not  We,^^ 
who   were    Guilty  of  this  blick  Sip,  and  they  have  receiv'd 
their  Doom  already;  and'  why.fhould  we  trouble   our  felves  ^ 
to  Faft  and   Humble    our    felves*  for  that  Adkion,   how   Im- ' 
pious  foever  it  were,    vvhich    we   had  no  Hand  iji ;  But  dp 
not  the  fame  Principles,  ftill   Juftify'd,   infer    the  fame  Guilt 
ftill  ?  Has  not  God  told  us,  *  Thit  He  Vifits  the    Iniquities   of 
^  the    Fathers   upon   the  Children,    even    to    the    Third    and' 

*  Fourth  Generation  of  theni  that  Hate  Him?  What  dp 
thefe  do  lefs,  who  Maintain  this  Hellilh  and  Atheiftical  Prin- 
ciple ?  Do  not  thofe  who  call  themfelves  Jews^  confefs,  That 
they  fuifer  ftill  for  the  Sin  of  the  Golden-Calf;  that  there's 
fome  of  the  Duft  of  that  Calf  in  every  Bitter  Cup  which 
God  gives  them  to  Drink  of  to  this  Day ;  and  that  they 
ought  ftill  to  Mourn  for  that  Sin  of  their  Fore-Fathers  .> 
Do  not  we,  our  felves,  See  and  Know  how  th&j  have  fuf- 
fer'd,  for  many  Generations^  for  the  Murder  of  their  MeJJiasy 
and  becaufe  they  Hate  him  ftill  ?  And  are  not  thofe  ready 
to  Murder  the  next  Prince,  who  may  fall  into  their  Hands, 
who  can  Juftify,  or  go  about  to  Extenuate  the  Murder  of 
One  before ,  who  ftill  Maintain  the  fame  Principle  upon 
which  he  was  Murder'd,  and  who  Hate  all  Monarchs,  and 
all  Religion,   and  that  God  who    Founded  them? 

For  my  part,  I  believe,  that  That  Blefled  Martyr's  Blood 
cries  aloud  for  Vengeance  ftill.  I'm  fu re,  that  as  our  Church 
cxprefles   it,  *  Nothing  but  the  precious  Blood  of  the  Son  of 

*  GOD  can  expiate   the  Shedding  of  the  Innocent  Blood  of 
,  ^  that  Pious  Prince.     I'm    fure,  that    they   who    do    not  Faft 

for,  or  Repent  ferioufly  of  that  horrid  Sin,  the  Guilt  of 
v;hich  lies  ftill  fo  heavy  upon  this  Miferable  Nation,  can 
never  Receive  any  Benefit  by  that  precious  Expiatory  Blood 
of  rhe  Son  of  GOD.  Tm  fure,  ftliat  thofe  who  Juftify  the 
Sin,  or  the  Principle,  upon  which  it  was  Committed,  cannot 
be  Penitenrs  :  And  Vm  fare,  that  till  they  are  Penitertfs, 
GOD  s  Judgniencs  will  Perpetually  Profeciue  them  and  their 
Foikrity. 

As 


^^^  the  Thirtieth  of  ]^mi^r)[^  170  y.  zj 

As  for  Us,  who  are  here  met  together  in  the  Fear  6f 
GOD,  and  in  Obedience  to  the  Law,  to  Humble  our  Souls 
.  before  Almighty  God  for  the  crying  Sin  of  this  Day,  tho' 
1  know  there  are  feveral  among  Us,  who  conrte  with  very 
PifFerent  Intentions:  As  for  Us,  That  We^  may  avqrt  God's 
-Terrible   Judgments   from  our   own    Heads,     lee  us  earneftly 

*  Befeech  that  God,  to  whom    Vengeance  belongeth,    that  He 

*  would  be   Favourable    and    Gracious    unto  our  Siono     Be 

*  Merciful,    O  Lord,  be   Merciful    unto  Thy  People,  whom 
.  *  Thou  haft    Redeem'd,  and  lay    not   this    Innocent  Blood  to 

*  our  Charge.     O   ihut   not   ifp  our  Souls  with  Sinners ;  nor 

*  our  Lives  with  the  Blood-rhirfty.      Deliver  us  from  Blood- 

*  Guiltinefs,  O  Lord,    Thou  who    art    the  God  of  our  Sal- 

*  vation.    For  Thou    haft  no  Pleafure  in   Wickednefs  :  Thou 

*  wilt  Deftroy  all    chem    who    fpeak    Lies:    Thou  abhorreft 

*  the  Blood-thirlly,    and  Deceitful  Man.      But,  O  pardon  u3, 

*  Thy  Smful,  Thy    Unworthy  Servants,    who   now    Heartily 

*  Implore  Thy  Merey.    Deliver  this  whole  Nation   from  the 

*  Sin  of  Blood-Guiltinefs,    That  of  this  Day   in    particular; 

*  and  turn  from    us,  and  from  our  Pofterity,  all  thofe  Judg- 

*  ments,  which,  for    thi«,  and  all  other  Sins,   we    have   moft 
/Righteoufly  Deferv'd,    for    the  fake  of  Jefus    Chnfi,     Thy 

*  Son,  and  our  only  Mediator  and  Advocate.    Arnen^ 


F    t    N    I    S. 


BOOKS  Printedfory  and  Sold  hy  Geo.  Saw  bridge,  at  1^6 _ 
Three  Fbwer-de-Luce's  in  Little  Britain. 

THe  New  Afibcistidn  of  thofe  call'd  Moderate  Church-nieh^  with  tHe 
rrhVi-  arVd  Tahauchy  to  undermlrie  and  blow  lip  the  prefect 
Church  and  Government.  OccafiGin'd  by  a  late  Pamphlet,  intitul'd  j; 
''fhe  Danger  of  F^ieji  crafty  &c.  With  a  Snpplen^ent  on  occafion  of  the 
"^evj  Scotch  Preshyierian  CoYcnznu  By  atrue  Ghurch-man,  the  4th 
Edition  ;  price  6  i. 

•  * 

*^^  The  New  Aflocration,  part  2«  with  farther  Improvements,  as 
another  and  later ^S^c^jt^  Pr^^^j'ter/^/^Covenant,  befides  that  mentioned 
in  the  former  part ;  and  the  Proceedings  of  that  Party  firice.  An  An- 
fwer  to  fome  Ohjeftibnsln  the  pretended  De  fo^'s  Explication  in  tl^c 
Reflexions  upon  the  Skm^fl  ^^^<V  r  ^^^^^  Remarks  upon  bc/tb.  Alfo  an 
Account  of  feveral other  Pamphlets,  which  carry  on,  and  plainly  d(f- 
cover  the  Defign  to  undermine  and  blow  up  the  prefent  Church  and 
Government ;  particularly  the  foifcofery  of  a  certain  feeret  Hiftory ' 
not  yet  publifh'd  ;  with  a  fhort  'Account  of  the  Original  of  Goverfi- 
nient,  compared  with  the  Sche'mea  of  the  ]\epublidam  ^niJf'^higs.  T^e 
2d  Edition,  with  Additions,    Price  i  s. 

-^4+  The  Wolf  ftript  of  his  Shepherds  Clothing ;  in  ainfwer  to  a.  late 
celebrated  Book,  intitul'd,  Maderortion  aVirtue  ;  wherein  the  Defignf 
of  the  Diffenters  againft  the  Church  and  their  Behaviour  toward 
Her  Majefty  both  in  England  and  Scotland  are  laid  open ;  with  th< 
Cafe  of  Occafional  Conformity  confider'd;  Humbly  ofFer'd  to  th( 
Confideration  of  her  Majefty,  and  Her  three  Eftates  of  Parliament 
The  4th  EditioH,  by  one  call'd  a  High-Church-man,  with  my  Service 
t%  l>r,  Davenant  %  price  i  5.  6  i, 

1!  11 II  Caffandra  (but  I  hope  not)  iTelling  what  will  come  of  it 
Numb,  i.in  Anfwer  to  the  occafional  Letter,  A''«;;?^.  i.  wherein  th< 
New  Affoeiations^  S'c.  are  confidered,  the  ad  Edition,    price  i  s. 

fW  m/^^^r^,  Numb.  2.  the  fecond  Edition,    price  i  s.6d. 

%%%  Eufehiui  VawphUim  his  ten  Boqk^  of  Ecclefiaftical  Hiitoty 
faithfully  Tranflated  and  Abridged  from  the  Original.  By^^ww^ 
Tarker  Gent,  to  whicKis  prefixed,  a  DlfTertation  concerning  the  Uf< 
and  Authority  of  Ecclefiaftical  Hiltory :'  By  the  Author  of //?*?. '^w^I: 
in  the  Grafs ;  in  a  Letter  to  the  Abridger  ;  with  the  Life  of  Eufehiu 
ibftrafted  from  the  beft  Authors.  J^\o  an  Account  of  the  Works 
and  a  Varg^  Index  of  the  Memorable  Perfons,  CS'r,  mentibn'd  in  tA 
Abridgment.    Price  2  y.  6^. 

.b  +  ^  Vindication  of  t)^  Royal' Marty f>  being  a  Cafe  ofprefeil, 
Concern.    Pxicc  6.f,'